


One More Try

by AshKnight



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:39:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1405123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshKnight/pseuds/AshKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and Regina are having relationship issues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Bar

Henry sat on the floor in front of the television, his eyes glued to the screen. Behind him on the couch sat Emma, holding the newspaper, engulfed in its pages. The two were quiet as the clock struck ten. Regina appeared in the doorway.

"Henry, turn the TV off and get to bed, please," she said, nodding towards the remote control.

Emma and Henry both looked up.

"But Emma said I could stay up and watch the next episode," he protested, standing up then sitting down beside his biological mother on the couch. "Right Emma?"

"Why would you tell him that, Emma?" Regina said loudly, stomping over to the couch. "It's a school night!"

"He did his homework already, and he's being good. I don't see why he can't stay up with us a little longer," she answered nonchalantly, looking back down at the newspaper.

"Henry. Bed. Now."

Emma looked up again and met Regina's eyes.

"I already told him he could stay up," Emma said. "Don't make him go to bed now. It's not fair."

"Yeah, mom!" Henry chimed in. "It's not fair!"

"I said bed, Henry. Don't make me tell you again."

Emma stood up, dangerously close to the other woman.

"I told him he could stay up."

"And I'm saying no! Goddammit, Emma! Don't argue with me in front of Henry."

Henry was already slinking off, ascending the stairs cautiously. Although it may not have been fair, he wasn't about to start a fight with his mother. She was not one to be trifled with. The last time he'd tried to stand up for himself, she'd grounded him for two weeks. No friends, no TV, no video games. Again, Emma could do nothing but sit by and watch as he was punished. That time, Emma had done her best to protest, but she had lost the fight (as usual).

Regina glared at Emma and spat, "What the hell was that?"

"What?"

"THAT! That ridiculous display of defiance in front of my son! You completely undermined my authority."

"First of all," she retorted, "he's _our_ son. Second of all, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to stay up later just one night when he's so well behaved. He rarely gets into trouble, and he's been especially good lately. He's been doing well in school, and I thought he deserved a treat for once. Third, who the hell are you to to undermine _my_ authority? Do I not have a say in my own son's life?"

"It's a school night, Emma. I'm not going to argue this with you. Don't challenge me in front of him again, or you will regret it."

"Is that a threat?" Emma hissed, moving even closer until their faces were almost touching.

"Yes, it's a threat. I've raised him his whole life. I think I know how to parent my son."

"Really? Because he's absolutely miserable and you barely seem to notice."

"He's not miserable. He's just going through a phase," Regina countered.

"Alright. Whatever. I'm not doing this with you. I'm out of here."

Before Regina got the chance to speak again, Emma was already near the door, pulling her jacket on and grabbing her keys out of the bowl on the side table. She made sure to slam the door behind her as she left. She also made sure to peel out of the driveway, making skid marks on the pavement. Although she rarely talked on the phone while she was driving, she pulled her cell out of her pocket and dialed a number.

"Hey. Ruby? Do you want to go out tonight?"

Once she reached the bar, she checked her phone again and found a text from Regina.

' **You're a bitch.'**

She shut the phone and rolled her eyes, refusing to pay any attention to her wife's insult. Emma downed drink after drink - whiskey - until her face flushed red and her cheeks grew warm.

"I am going to have fun tonight," she slurred. "No matter what. And there's nothing anyone can do to stop me."

"Who's trying to stop you...?" Ruby asked, confused by Emma's strange behavior.

"My control freak of a wife," Emma told her, scowling.

She didn't normally drink, so the alcohol affected her more than it normally would have. She also hadn't eaten all day. (Regina hadn't been hungry when she got home, so she neglected to expend the effort to make herself a meal.) As the night went on, she quickly became belligerent.

"C'mon, guys," she said, looking at her friends. "Let's dance."

Belle and Ruby exchanged looks.

"I think maybe we should drive you home."

"I'm perfectly fit to drive, and I'm _definitely_ not going back there."

"Alright..." Ruby said.

"Then why don't you just come home with us?" Belle asked, clearly worried about Emma's safety, knowing that there was no way they were going to let her drive.

"I'm not leaving yet," Emma said matter-of-factly. "I want to dance."

Belle and Ruby had had a little bit to drink as well, and they were buzzed, so they both shrugged and made their way onto the dance floor. Emma was almost stumbling, nearly losing her balance as they danced to the music. When she grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her close, Ruby didn't think much of it, at least until Emma wrapped her arms around her.

"Dance with me," Emma pleaded, grinning.

Ruby pushed her away.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Stop it. We're leaving right now, and you're coming, too."

Belle and Ruby each took and arm and literally had to drag her out the front door. Just as they made it outside, Emma keeled over and puked onto the pavement in front of them, the mess just nearly missing the girls' shoes.

"Oh, God," Ruby groaned.

"Gross," Belle said.

They dragged her around the side of the pile of throw up and supported her weight all the way down the street to Granny's. They got her settled in a room and sat with her until she fell asleep, all the while mumbling incoherent something-or-others that didn't make sense - but not before she threw up twice more in the waste basket next to the bed. As she fell asleep, she kept groaning Regina's name in between indecipherable phrases. She didn't check her phone - she wouldn't have been able to read it anyway - but she had a text and three missed calls.

' **Where the hell are you?'**

Belle and Ruby woke her with a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, but Emma wouldn't eat. Once she sat up in bed, she threw up again, and knew she was incapable of keeping anything down. The hangover caused her head to split and throb with excruciating pain.

"We already called you out of work," Ruby said. "We just told them you were ill."

Emma groaned and held her head.

"Why did you guys let me drink that much?"

"Because nothing we tried stopped you. You pretty much cleared out the bar. It's no wonder you're sick."

"It's okay, Emma," Belle said, frowning sympathetically and taking the woman's hand. "Everyone does things they regret sometimes."

This didn't make Emma feel better.

"So what happened?" Ruby asked, staring her down, unable to keep her curiosity at bay.

Emma shook her head and sighed. What was she going to say? Should she tell them? She knew how Regina felt about keeping the details of their relationship private. But what else could she do? Who else could she talk to? These were her best friends. Surely, they would understand more than anyone.

"Regina," Emma said simply.

Belle nodded in quiet understanding.

"Yeah, but what _happened_?" Ruby pressed, sitting down on the bed beside her friend.

"Just something stupid, Rubes," Emma sighed. "We got in a fight over Henry. It was so dumb. I told him he could stay up, but she sent him to bed anyway. She's a control freak. She can't stand me making decisions, especially about our son."

Ruby nodded too and bit her lip.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say. "Maybe you should sleep it off."

Belle expressed her agreement, and they drew the shades in the room. They left Emma alone to rest for the next few hours until the woman was just barely sober enough to stand up, walk around a little, and eat something.


	2. Not Leaving

"What's wrong with you?" Regina taunted, moving closer to Emma. "You get upset like the baby you are and go and get hammered to forget about your problems?"

"Yep," Emma said flippantly. "That's exactly what I was doing."

_You drive me to drink_ , she wanted to say, but she didn't want to start a war. Still, it seemed World War III had already begun. Regina was positively livid, unwilling to back down. No matter how dismissive Emma was, Regina wouldn't let up. Their eyes caught each other, both blazing with defiance. Regina took another step forward.

"If you think you can strut around town getting trashed and make me look like a fool, you're wrong," Regina told her.

"Is your reputation all you care about?"

"Well, at least one of us does!"

Emma scowled at her and moved backwards away from Regina. The woman matched her step and moved towards her again. Emma turned to leave the room, but Regina grabbed her shoulder and jerked her back. Emma was startled at the physicality of the gesture and was too surprised to actually move.

"Don't walk away from me," Regina warned. "We're not finished here."

"Sure we are," Emma said. "I'm leaving."

"What, you're going to go get trashed again?"

"Maybe I am."

"What about Henry? He'll expect you to be here in the morning."

Emma shrugged and said, "I'm sure you can discipline him all by yourself. After all, that's what you're good at. Being cruel."

Regina was taken back by this, and it only fueled her rage.

"I could say the same for you, Emma."

They two stared at each other, both refusing to look away.

"I dare you to walk out that door," Regina said. "I dare you."

Emma, perfectly happy to defy her and leave the situation, turned to go. Regina quickly grabbed her arm, her fingers making bruises where she gripped her, and pulled her back. Once Emma was turned around, Regina slammed her against the wall. Emma felt her back ache and watched as her lover moved closer, rage filling her eyes.

"You're not fucking leaving," Regina hissed.

Emma was too shocked to say anything. Instead, she simply stood there, dumbfounded, and allowed the woman to drag her into the den and shove her onto the couch. She turned her face away and stared at the floor, feeling confused and betrayed.

"You're supposed to love me," Emma told her, tears filling her eyes. "We're supposed to take care of each other. What happened to us?"

"What happened to _you_?"

It was dark out, and Emma could barely see Regina, since the lights weren't turned on in the room. Only the hallway was lit up. When Emma didn't say anything, Regina grew even more angry. She gripped the woman's wrist and tore her off the couch, dragging her up the stairs, even though Emma fought unsuccessfully to free her arm. When they reached the top of the stairs, Regina threw her into their bedroom, continually shoving her back until she fell on the bed. Emma squirmed to get up, but Regina had her pinned before she could move. Henry was with David and Mary Margaret, so she didn't worry about the crashing sounds as she slammed Emma around.

With a flick of Regina's hand, Emma's clothes were gone and her wrists were wrapped tightly with rope that dug painfully into her skin. As Regina tied her hands to the headboard, Emma thrashed and gasped for air, trying to fight Regina off.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she screamed, kicking Regina hard in the thigh.

This only made her more furious, and she tightened the rope around her ankles as she tied them to the bottom of the bed.

"Finally having some fun with you."

Regina climbed on top of her lover and ground their hips together, making Emma shiver. The woman roughly squeezed Emma's breasts until Emma flinched and hissed in pain when she twisted her nipples. Still, the harder Regina moved her hips against her, the harder it was not to moan. Disregarding the cries of 'stop,' Regina moved down and knelt on the bed between Emma's legs.

"This is gonna go my way for once," she growled.

Regina shoved two fingers inside Emma and smirked when the woman nearly screamed.

"I figured you wouldn't say no," she taunted.

By that time, Emma was panting too loudly to say 'stop' anymore. The pressure between her legs built up until she felt she might come, but Regina pulled her fingers out and stared down at her. Even being tied up against her will, Emma couldn't resist her gorgeous lover. The sex was too good, too wild, too perfect. Just as Emma squeezed her eyes shut, her insides throbbing, Regina thrust her fingers back in, pumping in and out three more times, until Emma screamed 'please.'

But before Emma could climax, Regina pulled her fingers out again and laughed out loud, leaning over the blonde and whispering, "I want a divorce."


	3. Another Night

Regina waved her hand to untie Emma. She removed her own clothes and slipped into her nightgown as if nothing had happened. When she climbed into the bed next to Emma, the woman was still stunned and unable to speak. They said nothing to each other until Regina fell asleep.

"Goodnight, Regina," Emma whispered, tears slipping out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

Emma woke in the morning bruised and battered. Regina was gone. Her arms and hips had black marks on them, but she was glad that her face showed no signs of the violence her wife had inflicted. She dressed in long sleeves, aiming to hide the dark spots on her arms. When she drove to pick Henry up from his grandparents to bring him to school, he noticed her change demeanor instantly.

"What's the matter, Emma? Did something bad happen?"

"No, kid," she lied. "Everything's fine. Let's get you to school, yeah?"

Henry nodded but didn't believe her. Like his mother, he was also pretty good at telling when people were lying. But he didn't say anything, in spite of his curiosity, suspecting it might be a sensitive subject. He was starting to get older, and he understood more about the world than Emma wanted to believe. He was growing up too fast. Regina also agreed with this, not ready to see her young son mature into a young man. They both knew how dark the world could be and didn't want to subject him to it, which was part of the reason Emma didn't tell him what happened. The main reason, though, was that she didn't want to turn him against his mother. Regardless of what Regina had done, she didn't deserve to lose the love of her son. It broke her heart to think of telling him they they were getting a divorce. She could only imagine what his response would be. He would be devastated. But eventually, she would have to tell him. She was hoping Regina would tell first. She didn't want to be the one to break the bad news.

When they arrived at the school, she kissed his cheek and waved goodbye, watching him walk all the way into the school building before pulling away from the curb. At work, the entire day she could think of nothing but the night before. She was still aching from Regina's touch, but she also couldn't stop imagining the way it felt to make love to her wife. Never before had she been so rough with Emma. But that time, Regina been too furious to stop herself, and Emma was left to absorb the brunt of her anger. Still, she remembered the near-orgasm and felt her face flush and her thighs grow warm. Why had she enjoyed it? Regina had been so brutal. She shuddered to think of it happening again, imagining the new bruises that would come along with it. She dreaded going home.

After work, she found herself alone at the bar. She knew Ruby and Belle wouldn't join her. She also knew that once she was done, she wouldn't be able to drive. But she couldn't bear the thought of facing Regina, and so she downed shot after shot, until she was belligerent once more, unable to stand without stumbling. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and thought of texting Ruby, but she was too embarrassed to let her friend know that she was right back in the same situation. Instead, she texted Regina.

' **Com gt me'**

Obviously, Regina could tell that this meant, 'Come get me,' and she also knew that it meant Emma was drunk at the bar. In a desperate effort to get Emma home and out of the public eye where she could make a fool of herself, she rushed to the establishment and lifted Emma into her arms, carrying her out to the car and setting her down in the passenger seat.

"You're really strong," Emma giggled, finally relaxed and drunk enough not to fear the woman.

"You're disgusting," Regina said, pulling out of the parking lot and heading home.

"And you're a bitch."

Once at the house, Regina carried the inebriated woman up the stairs and into the bedroom where she almost passed out. Luckily, though, she didn't get sick. Instead, she groped at Regina's clothes, grabbing her blouse and pulling her forward.

"Do you wanna fuck me?" Emma slurred.

Regina raised and eyebrow, feeling skeptical. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea or a bad idea, but her sex drive took over, and she climbed on top of the woman and undressed her. She took Emma's hand and guided it into her panties, moving her fingers back and forth. She moaned when Emma took over and slid her fingers inside. Emma was grinning, obviously intoxicated. In her eyes, her lover and the room were spinning, but still, she didn't stop. Over and over again, she thrust her fingers in and out, not caring to be gentle.

"Harder," Regina ordered, grabbing her hand and shoving it closer to her core, pushing Emma's fingers deeper in.

Emma obeyed and continued, curling her fingers inside just slightly, moving them in a rapid, steady rhythm. Regina clenched around her, coming hard and soaking Emma's hand. Exhausted from the effort, Emma relaxed into the pillows, trying to catch her breath. Regina quickly rolled away to face the wall and fall asleep almost instantly. The rest of the night, the two did not touch.


	4. Telling Henry

Emma woke up with another hangover, and Regina was not amused. She was in a fowl mood as soon as she opened her eyes, which only meant one thing: bad news for Emma.

"What happened last night?" Emma asked, groaning and holding her head in her hands.

"You got belligerently drunk and begged me to fuck you."

"I did?" Emma gasped in horror.

How was that possible? Hadn't Regina just said she wanted a divorce?

"Did we?" she asked.

"Yes," Regina smirked.

"Why would you do that if you want a divorce?" Emma said, her voice bitter and pained.

"Because I was horny," Regina smiled, shrugging her shoulders as if she didn't care.

Emma felt her chest tighten. _Divorce._ After three years, she couldn't imagine her life without Regina. True, all they did was fight now, but she was so used to the woman's company that it would be uncomfortable to be without her. After the other night, though, Emma figured it might be for the best. But Regina had never hurt her before. Maybe she was just angry. Maybe it wasn't Emma and it was just their relationship that was frustrating to her. But divorce was a big word, and it didn't seem like something that Regina would just throw around casually. Emma could tell that she meant it.

"Why would you take advantage of me like that?" Emma asked softly, her head down, not daring to look up at Regina to watch her expression.

"Because I didn't care."

Emma flinched inside, her heart jumping into her throat. They were words Emma never thought she'd hear from her wife.

"Okay," she said, the sadness in her cracking voice slipping out. She took a deep breath, and said, "We need to tell Henry."

"I know," Regina replied. "I'll tell him. Do you want to be there when I do?"

Emma thought about this. What would hurt Henry less? Leaving him alone to deal with the disappointment and pain on his own seemed wrong. As hard as it would be, Emma figured it would be easier on Henry if she was there.

"Yeah," she replied. "We should get it over with soon. He's probably wondering what's wrong with us. We've been... well... you know. I'm sure he's noticed how unhappy and angry you are."

"Me?" Regina retorted. "Like you're happy in this relationship?"

Emma had to think about this. Was she happy? She certainly wasn't happy to see Regina so unsatisfied and angry all the time. But how did she feel about it? Was she happy with Regina? They fought too much. The sex was always good, but their relationship had crumbled during the past year. It seemed as though all they ever had to share with each other were insults. Now that Emma was drinking, it was all too clear that dealing with the situation was over Emma's head. And Regina was obviously unable to deal with Emma's newly developed drinking problem; Emma's drunken stupors were an embarrassment.

"I guess not," she mumbled.

"Don't pretend like you don't want this, too," Regina said.

"I never said I wanted to divorce you..."

Regina looked at her and rolled her eyes. She didn't have to say it out loud. To Regina, it seemed as though her actions spoke louder than her words, anyway. Why else would she have turned into a drunken mess? To spite her, perhaps? Emma looked back at her, sadness filling her eyes.

"Let's go," Regina said, changing the subject, not wanting to deal with a conversation about Emma's feelings.

Emma nodded and they both got up and walked to Henry's room, knocking on the door.

"Henry?" Emma said. "Can we come in? We need to talk to you about something."

The boy opened the door slowly and looked at them, knowing something terrible was coming. Why else would they come to talk to him with such serious faces? Even if they disagreed on the elements of their relationship, they both felt badly for Henry, understanding just how much it would hurt him. When they'd told him they were getting married, he'd been ecstatic. He couldn't believe that the two most important people in his life were finally reconciled and coming together as a couple.

"What's going on, guys?" he asked them, letting them into his room and sitting on his bed.

Emma sat on his right side with Regina on his left, and they both sighed, looking over at him.

"Sweetie," Regina started. "Your mother and I have been going through some really tough times lately. I know you've seen us fighting, and I know that must be hard for you. But we've made a decision, and we wanted to tell you as soon as possible."

"What's going on?" Henry repeated, looking back and forth between his parents.

"Your mother and I are getting divorced. It's for the best for all of us. We're very unhappy with the way things are now, and we don't want to subject you to the fighting anymore," Regina told him.

Emma looked at her son and frowned, saying, "I'm so sorry, kiddo."

When he started to cry, and Emma wrapped her arms around him, assuring him that everything would be okay.

"You're still going to see both of us, buddy. We both love you very, very much, and none of this is your fault," Emma promised. "Your mom just decided that this is the right thing for us."

Regina shot Emma a glare.

" _We_ decided together that this is best. Please understand, honey. We just need to do what's right by you and what's right by us. We both want to be happy, and we're just not."

"Why not?" Henry sniffled, looking down at his lap.

"Well..." Regina began, but found herself struggling to answer the question. "Because we're not right for each other."

Emma felt her heart crack and contract, catching her breath in her chest. _How can you be so sure?_ she wanted to know. But she didn't dare to ask. Once Regina had settled on something, there was no changing her mind. As Emma's heart continued to break open, she realized that she didn't feel the same way. There was no way she could tell Regina, but deep down, she didn't want Regina to leave her. _This is my home now._ But there was no going back. Apparently, Regina had already drawn up the divorce paperwork, and all that was left to do to end it was for Emma to give her signature. She thought about refusing, about making it impossible for Regina to get what she wanted, but inside, she wanted her wife - soon to be ex-wife - to be happy, and if she wasn't happy with her, Emma didn't want to force her to stay or make it harder for her to leave.

"Can you leave me alone?" Henry asked, his voice cracking through his tears.

They nodded, each kissing him on the forehead, and exited the room, shutting the door behind them, leaving Henry alone to cry.


	5. Remembering Vows

Once back downstairs, they sat at the kitchen table and glanced at each other, both of them looking defeated by the conversation with their son.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Emma asked, searching Regina's face for some kind of emotion.

"I think it will take him a while to understand, but once he goes back to a life where he isn't surrounded by constant fighting, I think he'll feel better about it."

"Yeah," Emma said, swallowing her pain.

"What?"

"Nothing," Emma lied.

_I don't want you to leave me._ Even after their encounter the other night, Emma still could not bring herself to stop her feelings for the other woman. They were engrained in her. As she sat at the table, she thought back to her vows, remembering her own tears as Regina said, 'I do.' It had been the most powerful moment in her life that didn't involve Henry. She remembered the kiss that symbolized their union, and tears formed in her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing," Emma repeated, shaking her head, her blonde locks bouncing around her shoulders.

Just for a moment, Regina remembered those vows too. She remembered the way Emma looked in that dress, the way her hair was illuminated by the sunlight, the way she seemed to radiate beauty. No matter what happened between them, Regina knew she would always be - at the very least - physically attracted to Emma. Their sexual chemistry had always been more than perfect. Even after every fight, they'd kept making love, even if they didn't speak during the day. At night, they always found each other again. In those precious moments, Emma remembered why she married the woman - the closeness and wholeness she felt when they were together. In the beginning, Regina had always clung to her after sex, keeping her arms wrapped around her as she slept with her head on Emma's breast. Rather suddenly, though, Regina had taken to simply rolling off her and facing the wall, immediately falling asleep without another word. But Emma could still remember the frantic whispers of 'I love you' while they made love, and there at the table, she thought of those moments and could not stop the tears.

"Oh, don't," Regina said when she saw Emma's cheeks glistening. "Don't cry. This is pathetic. It's best for both of us. We're not happy."

"You're not happy," Emma corrected, keeping her head down. "I don't want you to leave me."

"I'm sorry, Emma, but this is just how it has to be."

Emma gave a weak nod of understanding, unwilling to fight. There was nothing she could say or do to change Regina's mind.

"I'm going out," Emma mumbled, gathering her things - jacket, cell phone, car keys - and walking towards the door.

"If you're going to be drunk, don't come back here."

"Fine," Emma said, slamming the door behind her as she made her way out to the car.

As soon as she sat down in the driver's seat, she dialed Ruby's number on her phone.

"Hey, Rubes. Listen, I really need a drink right now. Can I stay at your place tonight?"

As reluctant as she was, Ruby knew that Emma would drink either way. She would rather have had Emma safe with her than out with strangers getting into God-knows-what kind of trouble.

"Yeah, alright," said the voice on the other the end of the line. "But why don't you just come over now? We'll drink here, okay?"

Reluctantly, Emma agreed. At least it was cheaper. On the way to Ruby's, she turned her music all the way up until it hurt her ears and fought back the tears. She didn't want Belle or Ruby to see her cry. She didn't want them to see her so weak. When she arrived at their place, she was embraced with open arms by both of them. She appreciated the gentle touch of her friends, missing the way Regina used to hold her before all the fighting had started. They led her to the couch and they all sat down, looking at each other, until Ruby finally decided to break the silence.

"Okay, so what happened this time?"

"Drinks first," Emma groaned, hanging her head in her hands.

Ruby poured them each a shot whiskey - which Belle gracefully declined - and the two of them did a shot. After Emma downed Belle's shot, she finally opened up.

"Regina wants a divorce," she told them, her voice choking up.

"Oh my God," Ruby said. "I'm so sorry, sweetie... I'm so, so sorry..."

She didn't know what else to say. Belle just put her arm around Emma shoulders and sighed.

"She can be a real witch," Belle said matter-of-factly.

"Don't call her that," Emma sniffled, taking another shot of whiskey.

"She's right," Ruby chimed in, nodding towards the other brunette. "She's a real bitch, Emma."

"I said witch," Belle corrected her.

"Whatever. She _is_ a bitch."

Emma flopped back against the couch, holding another shot of liquor. This she quickly spilled on her own lap.

"Shit," she said, standing up. "Ruby, do you have any pants I can borrow?"

She hoped Ruby's pants would fit. Her friend obliged, and Emma was both pleased and surprised to find that they did fit (a little tight, but still). With a sigh, she stumbled from the bathroom where she'd changed back to the couch where her friends sat waiting for her.

"What are you gonna do?" Ruby asked. "Are you gonna sign the papers?"

"I have to, Ruby. I have to. I can't force her to stay married to me."

"Why not?"

"Ruby. You're not helping."

"It's not like I want you with her - you know how I feel about her - but aren't you even going to try to get her to stay?"

Emma shook her head and took another shot.

"She doesn't want me." She paused, deciding whether or not to say the next part, then said, "She fucked me last night."

They both stared at her, unsure of what to say or how to interpret the new piece of information.

"I was drunk," Emma continued. "She said it was just because she was horny and didn't care."

"When did she tell you she wanted to get divorced?"

_Before she practically raped me._ Emma turned red, started to feel nauseous, and looked away. Belle sat quietly beside her, just listening and trying to be supportive. Ruby was the type to ask questions though, but as much as Emma didn't want to talk about it, she knew she had to. Ruby was just too curious. She took another shot.

"The night before," she told her.

"Are you serious?" Ruby asked. "She told you she wanted to divorce you and then waited for you to get drunk and fucked you?"

Emma nodded sadly and buried her face in her hands.

"I need more whiskey," she said, looking at the empty bottle.

"I think you've had enough, sweetie," Belle said gently, rubbing her back.

Just then, Emma's phone buzzed. Regina's name appeared on the screen, and Ruby didn't miss her opportunity to grab the phone.

"Well, well, well. Speak of the devil!" she grinned, sliding her finger over the screen to open the text message. " **'Hope you're having fun.'** Hmm. Why don't we tell her just how much fun we're having, guys? I think that's a great idea."

Ruby was beaming as she fervently started to text back.

"Ruby, no!" Emma screamed, diving to reach the phone.

But Ruby was too quick. The text was already sent. When Emma grabbed the phone back and read the message, the color left her face and she turned completely white.

' **I just had a threesome with Ruby and Belle.'**

"Oh, God," Emma moaned. "Oh, God. She's going to kill me."

"Since when are you scared of her?" Ruby pressed, her brow furrowing.

_Since two days ago,_ she wanted to say, but she lied instead.

"I'm not."

"Then why do you care?"

"I don't... I just... She's going to be so pissed..."

"I dare you to let her believe it. I dare you not to tell her I sent that text."

"No way!" Emma protested, holding the phone to her chest. "There's no way I'm letting her think we fucked. There's no way."

"And what if we did? Would you let her believe it if it was true?"

"Ew! Ruby!"

"You seemed pretty keen on us the other night," Ruby laughed. "I'm just playing, Em. Don't be so uptight. Seriously, though. Why not let her get a little jealous? Maybe that'll remind her what she's missing out on."

"I'm so fucked," Emma mumbled.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetie," Belle said. "Why don't you take it easy on the booze and get some sleep, okay? You'll feel better in the morning."

Emma knew this wasn't true. She groaned and leaned forward as if she might throw up, but thankfully, she didn't. That would have been more embarrassment than she could take. Admittedly, though, she was surprised that she hadn't thrown up already, considering the amount of alcohol she'd consumed in the past two hours. She pulled out the phone again and started to text Regina to tell her it was Ruby who had sent the message, but Ruby grabbed the phone away.

"You can't have this back until the morning," she decided out loud, putting it in her pocket.

"Ruby, no! She's going to be so pissed!"

The phone buzzed again.

' **Fuck you.'**

After Ruby read her the text, she finally started to cry, unable to hold it in. After sitting with her until the tears slowed to a stop, they gave her some blankets and set her up in a room again and let her sleep off the alcohol, glad that they were at least able to take care of her while she was belligerent. It was better than leaving her out at the bar or having her home with Regina.


	6. In the Morning

Emma woke with another hangover. Of course, her friends were both by her side with water and a hot meal when she woke up.

"How ya doin', champ?" Ruby asked, reaching down to stroke Emma's hair.

"Ughhh," she groaned, rolling over onto her side.

"Yeah. That's what I thought. You have to stop drinking."

"I can't," Emma muttered, squeezing her eyes shut to block out the light.

"I know," Ruby sighed, rubbing her back.

"Everything will work itself out," Belle said cheerfully, sitting beside her and holding her hand.

Ruby looked skeptical and nudged her with her elbow. She shook her head and sighed again.

"Listen, Emma," Ruby said. "She doesn't deserve you."

"I really don't need to hear that right now, Rubes," Emma said, eyes still shut.

"C'mon. You need to get out of bed. You can't just sleep all day and get drunk all night. It's time to get up."

Emma groaned. She knew Ruby was right and that she had to be down at the station in an hour, but she had no interest in rolling out of bed. Given that her stomach didn't hurt this time, the food did look pretty appetizing.

"Alright, alright," Emma pouted, sitting up in bed.

"Eat something, love," Belle encouraged her, setting the plate down on her lap.

Emma ate the meal gratefully, feeling blessed to have friends like Belle and Ruby.

"Why do you guys put up with me?" she asked, looking between them.

They shrugged and Ruby said, "We love you."

"Oh, shit," Emma gasped. "Regina! Ruby, where's my phone?"

"No way, babe. Not gonna happen. You're not texting her."

"But I have to explain last night! She's going to kill me!"

"She'll have to go through us first. Right, Belle?"

Belle nodded.

"We're not gonna let her hurt you."

The irony of the statement was painful. Emma almost laughed. Luckily, her shirt was long-sleeved, otherwise, they would have seen the bruises. What the Queen wanted, she got, and there was no one who could stand in the way. Emma knew this, but it was Ruby's large heart and fierce loyalty that made her so cocky. But there was no one in Storybrooke who could really stand up to Regina. Emma was on her own. To make the girls feel better, she nodded.

"I want my phone back, Ruby. Now, please."

Reluctantly, Ruby nodded to Belle, and the girl handed over the cell phone.

'' **I hope you enjoyed sleeping with them, dear, because you will never sleep with me again.'**

Emma's eyes started to well. When Ruby saw the text, she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders and squeezed.

"I'm so sorry this is happening to you, Emma."

The librarian nodded in agreement. Ruby didn't know how to make the woman feel better, but that certainly wasn't going to stop her from trying. In fact, that only made her want to try harder. But there was nothing she could do. As much as she wanted to take the phone away from Emma to stop the inevitable text that was to follow, she knew that it was ultimately Emma's choice, and that no matter how stupid of a decision it might have been, it was Emma's decision to make.

"Shit," Emma cursed, frantically typing.

' **I'm so sorry. That was Ruby. I swear. Please forgive me.'**

Regina texted back almost immediately. She must have been alone in her office.

' **Go to hell.'**

Emma flopped back on the bed and sighed.

"My life is over," she said dramatically, closing her eyes as she felt the tears start to trickle down her cheeks.

"It's not over, sweetie," Belle told her. "It's just barely begun. You just have to trust that everything will work out for the best. I'm sure she'll come around eventually. Just give her some space and see what happens."

"Do you think I should go home tonight?" Emma asked her friends.

They looked at each other, wanting to say 'no' but not wanting to jump to a conclusion too quickly.

"It might be best if you stay here for a while," Ruby suggested. "She seems pretty angry..."

Emma wiped her eyes and nodded.

"I miss Henry already," she told them.

Ruby nodded and said, "I know."

"Emma," Belle said. "You better hurry, or you're going to be late for work."

Belle gave the woman a gentle smile and squeezed her shoulder, letting her know that she was just trying to be helpful. Emma nodded in response and slowly climbed out of the bed.

"I've never been to work hungover before," she laughed. "This is going to be an adventure."

The two other women exchanged looks as Emma got ready for work. By the time she was ready to go, she was nearly late.

"Thank you so much, you guys. I love you and I'll see you later, okay?"

They nodded and waved her goodbye, and Emma slipped out the door, barely ready for a day hungover on the job.


	7. Broken Glass

' **I just had a threesome with Ruby and Belle.'**

Regina gripped her phone with her left hand so tightly her knuckles turned to a snowy white. In her right hand, her perfectly-filed nails dug into her palms.

"FUCK," she screamed, slamming her fists down on the desk.

She swung her right arm back and knocked the items on her desk the floor. A glass paperweight flattening numerous important papers fell and shattered into sparkling pieces. After setting the phone down on the now-empty desk, she reached down to pick up the largest chunks of glass. She laughed bitterly and tossed them into the trash can, wiping off the smaller shards with her other hand. She would worry about the mess later. But when she looked to her right, she saw the shattered picture frame, as well. Regina, her wife, and their son were all smiling in the picture, looking happy and content with their lives. _What happened to that?_ Regina wondered. Her anger hardened the tenderness she started to feel, and she removed the picture from the frame, folded it up, and put it in her pocket. When Regina picked up the phone again, her fingers instinctively knew where the letters were. Her main communication with Emma during the day was by text, so she was used to typing on the phone without looking.

' **Fuck you.'**

_How can she do this to me?_ Regina wanted to know. Regardless of her expressed desire for a divorce, thinking of her former lover in the arms of two other women made her blood boil. They weren't even divorced yet. _I hope they can give you what you need, Emma, because you're never going to get it from me._ It was late, so she made her way to the bed, but clutched the phone to her chest, as if she was expecting Emma to text her back. When no response came, tears did. The screen became blurry as she started to cry. _Why do I even care?_ But she couldn't stop crying. Feeling angrier than ever, but weighed down by sorrow, she typed a reply.

' **I hope you enjoyed sleeping with them, dear, because you will never sleep with me again. Also, stay away from Henry. The last thing he needs is a whore like you in his life.'**

But she couldn't send the last part of the message. She couldn't keep her from her son, at least not completely. She knew that Henry needed Emma, and that Emma needed Henry. Eventually, she fell asleep, tears soaking her pillow. She woke with the phone pressed against her cheek, her fingers wrapped around it. When she lifted her head to look at the screen, she saw the new text message.

' **I'm so sorry. That was Ruby. I swear. Please forgive me.'**

A wave of relief crashed over her, making her heart swell and drop into her stomach. True, she wanted a divorce - especially after that little stunt - but that didn't mean she wanted to picture Emma fucking someone else. Technically, they weren't divorced yet, so it would have been cheating. She didn't want Emma, but she didn't want anyone else to have her either. Regina reached over to the nightstand and picked up the picture she'd had in her pocket the night before and looked at it, staring hard at the faces in the photo. They looked so... in love. _What happened to us, Emma?_ Feeling the tears slip down her cheeks again, she sent another text.

' **Go to Hell.'**

Regina got dressed, pulled her coat on, and tucked her phone and the photo into her pocket. When she pulled out of the driveway, she was still fuming. She had one thing on her mind, and she was going to go through with it.


	8. Moving Out

Things were relatively quiet at the station until Regina walked in, standing in front of Emma's desk.

"I want your stuff out by tomorrow," she said, looking serious.

"Okay," Emma said, swallowing.

It took everything she had not to let her eyes well up with tears.

"Look, I'm really sorry about last night," she started.

"Don't. Just don't. If you can't keep your stupid friend's hands off your phone, that's your problem. I'm not dealing with you anymore, Emma. You were always a bitch and now you're a drunk. I want you out of my house."

Emma nodded, defeated. She wanted to apologize again. Her gut instinct was to beg for forgiveness, but she knew that wouldn't work - not with Regina. The woman had made up her mind. All Emma could do was deal with it and try to move on. But that task felt impossible. As Regina turned to leave, Emma struggled not to call her back into the office. She bit her tongue and waited until the woman was gone to start crying. Once the tears were dry, she called Ruby.

"Rubes? Yeah. Can I stay with you guys for a while until I can find my own place? Regina kicked me out. I have to be gone by tomorrow."

Of course, her friend said yes, so after work, she went to the house to collect her things. Regina was there waiting on the couch.

"Hey, listen," Emma started, walking into the house. "If I leave now and take most of my stuff with me, can I leave some of it until I find my own place?"

There wasn't much to leave, but it was still too much to fit in the yellow beetle. It wasn't like she could keep all of it at Ruby's either. Regina shrugged, not confirming or denying the request. Emma decided to assume that meant yes and proceeded to gather as much as she could and pile it in the car.

"Mom?" Henry asked from the top of the stairs.

Emma looked up at him, broken hearted. He descended the staircase and threw his arms around her, starting to cry.

"Henry. Shh. Don't cry, kiddo," she whispered, holding him tightly. "I won't be far. Whenever you need me, I'm here, okay? I'm not abandoning you. I just can't keep living here. Okay?"

"Why not?"

"Because your mother doesn't want me here, Henry," she sighed, deciding that honesty was the best policy.

Henry looked towards the doorway of the entrance to the den where his mother was sitting and shook his head.

"This is so wrong. You guys are meant to be together."

"No, Henry," Emma said. "We're not. This is what's best."

"Best for who?" the boy retorted, anger suddenly filling his voice.

Emma sighed and looked down.

"Best for your mother."

"What about you? What about me?"

She sat down on the staircase beside Henry and held her head in her hands. She was choking back tears.

"I don't know, champ. I want whatever makes your mother happy, and I'm not it. I think this is best for you, too. It's not good for you to be around the fighting all the time."

"But you love each other," Henry protested, sobbing loudly.

"I do love your mother very, very much," Emma admitted, her voice cracking.

_But she doesn't love me._ Her heart sank as she pulled the boy into a hug. Regina appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking furious, as always.

"What's going on? Henry, are you okay?"

"I hate you," the boy said between sobs. "I hate you for making Emma go away."

"Henry!" Emma gasped, looking at him. "Don't talk to your mother that way! This is what's best and this is what has to happen. I need you to understand that."

"This is bologna," he said.

Henry turned on his heels and ran up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door as he shut himself inside. Regina looked at Emma with disdain.

"What the hell did you say to him?" she hissed.

"Nothing!" Emma cried, looking up at her. "I told him this was for the best and that I want you to be happy."

Regina laughed, "Sure you do," and turned away. "Get out, Emma."

Emma loaded most of her things into the car and left, heading for Ruby's. When she got there, Ruby hugged her and looked sympathetic as Emma recounted the day's events.

"Wow," Ruby said. "I'm really sorry. I know I said that before, but... I am. I'm really, really sorry. I know how hard this is for you, and I can only imagine what you're going through right now."

"Where's Belle?" Emma asked, looking around.

"She's at the library. She stayed late today because she said it was looking pretty gross and needed some cleaning. I wanted to help, but she said she'd rather do it herself, so I let it go."

Emma nodded.

"I wish we still had what you two have," she said sadly, looking down.

"Maybe Regina will change her mind. That happens a lot to people. Maybe she'll decide she doesn't want a divorce after all."

"She made me pack up my shit and leave, Ruby. I don't think she's changing her mind any time soon."

"Well, she's obviously still physically attracted to you. That's a start, right?"

Emma wasn't convinced. In fact, she was a little irritated with Ruby's comment.

"I want her to be more than physically attracted to me. I want her to want me like I want her."

"Maybe she does, but she's just too upset to show it."

"Somehow, I seriously doubt that."

Emma's phone buzzed, and she checked for the text message and showed Ruby once she'd read it.

' **I want the house key back.'**

"Ouch," Ruby said, shaking her head. "That's rough."

"Yeah, well," Emma said frowning, "it's not like I need it anymore."

"Have you told her how you feel about all this?" Ruby asked, looking directly at Emma.

"Of course not. Are you kidding? She'd laugh me right out of Storybrooke."

"Maybe what she wants to hear is that you'll fight for her. Maybe she doesn't believe that you actually want to be in that relationship either. You know how I feel about you two being together - I'm not a huge fan - but if you really want her, you should tell her how you feel, Emma. You're not going to have many more chances."

"And when exactly am I supposed to tell her? While I'm handing her the key to the house?" Emma retorted, frowning at Ruby.

"It's better than saying nothing., Emma. If you don't tell her, you'll regret it."

Emma hung her head and sighed, "I know."


	9. The Key

When Emma pulled up in the driveway, it was late and dark out, but Henry was waiting for her on the doorstep.

"Mom!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her waist.

Emma squeezed back and ran her fingers through his hair. Henry held the embrace until she pulled away, her fingers still in his hair.

"Hey, kid," she greeted him, forcing a smile.

"Mom said you were coming to bring something back."

Emma nodded.

"Yeah. Your mom wants the key to the house."

"What?" Henry gasped. "But why?"

"Because I don't live here anymore, Henry. Your mom made that perfectly clear."

"Look, you can take my key and make a copy! Then you'll have one!"

Emma shook her head and knelt down in front of him, taking both of his hands in hers.

"Listen. I know this is hard, but I promise I'm not going to leave you. You can see me whenever you want to, alright?"

"But Mom said I was only going to see you every other weekend." Henry said, looking confused as he fought the inevitable tears that were about to fall.

"She said WHAT?" Emma yelled, jumping to her feet and stomping past Henry. She stormed into the house, nearly kicking the door in, screaming, "REGINA! We need to talk!"

Regina appeared in the doorway, looking completely unfazed by the yelling.

"Yes, Emma?" Regina said casually, her hand on her hip.

"You told my kid he could only see me every other weekend?" she roared.

"I think that's more than generous," Regina mused, "considering your new drinking problem."

"You fucking bitch. Now you're going to try to take my son from me?"

"I don't think it will be hard to show you as an unfit mother, given that the whole town has seen you out getting sick all over the sidewalk. In fact, I'm surprised it hasn't affected your job yet."

"Is that a threat?" Emma pressed, taking a step towards her former lover.

"Yes, it is. You'll be lucky to see Henry every other weekend. Just remember that it's my word against yours in this, and you will lose if it comes down to it. So I wouldn't push buttons if I were you. New get off my property."

Regina held out her hand for the key, which Emma handed over roughly. By this time, Henry had slumped inside, afraid of Regina's wrath. Just as Emma pulled her hand away, she lifted it again and grabbed Regina's.

"Regina, wait," she sighed. "Can we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to say. I've already communicated the terms of the arrangement. Now all you have to do is sign the damn paper and change your name back."

This was a low blow, and Emma felt it in her chest. She'd gotten so used to being Mrs. Mills that it pained her to think of being Ms. Swan again. The plaque on her desk even read 'Sheriff Mills.' The name change had been Regina's idea, but they'd decided together when they got engaged.

"Please."

Emma looked like a kicked puppy, and Regina hated the weakness she saw in her eyes.

"Alright. But whatever you have to say, make it quick."

Regina held the door open for her, and Emma walked in. They made their way to the dining room where they each took a seat at the table. Regina sat first, but instead of sitting in across from her, Emma sat beside her and turned her chair to face her.

"I know you want me gone," Emma started. "and I'll respect that. But if I'm really going to leave, I need to know some things first."

"Like what?"

"Did you ever really love me?"

It hurt Emma to even ask. When they'd first gotten married, she never could have imagined herself saying those words. Now, she was just praying for them to be true.

"Of course I did," Regina said quickly, nearly slamming her glass of water down on the table and standing up. "This is ridiculous. You are such a child."

"Regina, please," Emma begged, grabbing her hand.

The mayor quickly pulled away, disgusted.

"Don't. You're pathetic."

Emma stood up, too, moving her body close to Regina's. Her arm snaked around the woman's waist and pulled her closer until their faces were nearly touching.

"Regina," Emma whispered. "Will you at least kiss me goodbye?"

Emma's gripped relaxed when Regina didn't pull away. She kissed the mayor slowly, savoring each sensation, knowing it was probably the last. There was something different about the kiss, something Emma had never felt before. Perhaps it was the lack of hope, knowing that it was fruitless, and that their love was over. Emma sensed the change, but didn't pull away. Instead, she deepened the kiss, reaching up to entangle her finger's in Regina's hair. The brunette didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into the kiss and took Emma's other hand in hers.

"Upstairs," Regina mumbled, pulling her towards the staircase.

Emma followed her to the bedroom and locked the door behind them.

* * *

**I know Regina's being a bitch. Just hang in there with me on this one, guys.**

**Much thanks to my lovely inspiration for continuing to write, LostSoulSaveMe.**


	10. Awake

As had become customary, Regina rolled over onto her side and fell asleep when they were finished. No matter how long Emma squeezed her eyes shut, though, she couldn't bring herself to rest. Her heart slammed in her chest, and she felt it throb and contract as she breathed in her lover's scent. Regina was naked under the sheets, and Emma watched her back rise and fall with each breath. Unwilling to stop herself, she reached out and put her hand on her back, gently stroking the skin.

"Regina?" she whispered. "Are you awake?"

Emma knew that she wasn't, but she waited until there was no response, just to be sure. When Regina didn't say anything, Emma scooted closer to her and draped her arm over her waist, resting her hand on the woman's bare abdomen. Regina sighed in her sleep, her hand moving to cover Emma's, but she said nothing. Emma assumed she was still asleep and pressed her cheek against the skin on her back. Regina leaned back into her, pressing their bodies together, and Emma kissed the woman's shoulder.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Mills," Emma sighed softly, wrapping her arms a little tighter around her, knowing it may be the last time she got a chance to call her 'Mrs.'

Emma fell asleep listening to Regina breathe with one arm wrapped around her waist, and the other entangling her finger's in the woman's soft brown hair. The sound kept her sleeping soundly, even through her nightmares, until the sunlight streamed in through the window. Emma woke up first, finding herself still draped over her lover, and gently moved herself away, sitting up in bed. _Oh, shit. What did I do?_ She felt her face grow warm as she looked at the woman beside her, who was still facing away towards the wall and hadn't moved since she'd first fallen asleep. Somehow, Regina never seemed to lose sleep over anything. Emma wondered if the idea of divorce even bothered her at all. Maybe it really was what she wanted. Emma signed and gathered her clothes. She showered and dressed before Regina could wake, and left the house without saying goodbye or waking Henry.

In the driveway, she checked her phone to find three new texts, all from Ruby.

' **Are you coming back tonight?'**

' **Where are you?'**

' **Are you okay?'**

Emma held her head in her hands and quickly typed a text back.

' **I'm fine. I slept with Regina. On the way to work. Call you later.'**

She could just imagine Ruby's eyes rolling as she read the message. _Oh, well. My life. My poor choices._ Emma knew that sleeping with Regina hadn't been her strongest decision yet, but there was no taking it back now. She wondered what Regina would think when she woke to find her gone. _She'll probably go about her day like nothing ever happened,_ she reasoned. When she reached the police station, she sat in the parking lot with her phone and stared down at the screen.

' **I love you, Regina Mills,'** she typed, but she deleted it just as quickly.

' **I'm sorry about last night. That was stupid,'** she tried again, but deleted that too.

' **I miss us,'** was the next thing she typed, but that got deleted even faster than the first text.

She thought hard, squeezing the phone until her knuckles turned white, until it vibrated in her hand. It was a text from Regina.

' **You forgot your jacket.'**

Emma sighed with relief. At least Regina wasn't pretending she didn't exist. That was a start. Still, what was she supposed to say back? Just 'okay'? Emma thought of the most neutral text she could send.

' **Can I come get it after work?'**

' **Yes.'**

All that day, Emma found herself continually checking her phone for text messages, hoping there would be one from Regina, but none came. Even Ruby hadn't responded to her text. On her break, she dialed Ruby's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hey, Ruby," she said into the phone. "I'm sorry about last night. I just... It just kind of happened, you know?"

Of course, Ruby wasn't pleased, considering she'd expected to see the woman that night, but she tried not to sound irritated as they conversed about the events of the previous night. Emma told her what happened, and Ruby gently expressed her disapproval - the way the conversation usually went.

"You didn't tell her, did you?"

Emma sighed into the receiver.

"No, not really. I asked her if she ever loved me, and she said of course, and then... things just sort of happened."

Ruby silently slapped herself in the face, wanting to scream at the woman for being so dense.

"You need to quit playing around and tell her how you feel or things are going to get even uglier."

"I'm going over there tonight," Emma told her. "I left my jacket this morning."

"Okay. So tell her then."

"Yeah. I... I will..."

But Emma didn't sound so sure. Ruby could tell that she wasn't very confident, but she let the subject drop, reasoning that it was Emma's decision to make, even though Ruby also knew it would be herself who would have to deal with the consequences and pick up the pieces if it didn't work out. But she was that kind of friend, so she let the topic go and instead asked general questions about Henry and his schoolwork and how her day was going. They continued the small talk until Emma's break was over and she went back inside.

This time, when Emma pulled into the driveway, it was Regina who was waiting for her, not Henry. Henry was with his grandparents for the night, so Emma was greeted alone.

"Hey," Emma said casually, holding out a single red rose. "Check it out. It matches your apple tree."

Regina wanted to scoff - she tried to - but she couldn't fight off the smile that crept across her lips.

"Emma," she laughed. "Why?"

"Because it made me think of you," she said honestly, placing the flower in the woman's hands, being careful not to stick her with any of the thorns.

Regina looked surprised, and rightfully so; Emma had never been the flower-giving type. It was a first for them both. As Regina touched its petals, Emma stood with her hands in her jean pockets, watching the woman explore the flower's softness with her fingertips.

"Th-Thank you, Emma..." Regina finally managed, squeezing her hand shut, the slightest hint of redness coloring her cheeks.

Emma shrugged and leaned up against the house, looking over at the mayor.

"How was work?" Emma asked casually.

Regina shrugged.

"Same thing every day. You know how it is, Sheriff."

They shared a smile as Regina turned to hold the door open.

"Your jacket is upstairs," she told Emma. "I forgot to grab it. I'll be right down."

Emma nodded weakly, following her into the house and waiting at the bottom of the stairs. It felt wrong to be a stranger in the house they used to share. Some of Emma's things were still scattered around, but the house felt empty with most of them gone - not that Emma had much. For the most part, it was just clothing. She'd been so used to moving around all the time that she never gave herself time to collect things like furniture or decorative trinkets. Almost everything she owned she could either wear or use on a daily basis. Anything non-essential she didn't bother to keep. Regina, on the other hand, had a house full of elegant furniture and tasteful decorations and paintings. As comfortable as she'd become living with Regina, it was strange for Emma to be so settled and stable where she was. Now, she was on her own again, and seeing the house looking so full but so empty at the same time made her heart ache.

Regina was taking longer than expected to retrieve the item, but just when Emma was about to call up the stairs after her, she appeared at the top holding the jacket and descended the stairs.

"You left this, too," Regina said. "I don't know if you even want it, but it was in your closet, so..."

The mayor handed over a necklace with a polished silver chain and a simple pendant in the shape of an 'E'. It had been Emma's present the first Christmas they'd spent together. She only wore it for special occasions, and since it had been god-knows-how-long since they'd actually gone out on a date, they'd both had nearly forgotten about the piece of jewelry that used to hold such significance. Seeing it again made Emma's stomach flip.

"Of course I want it," Emma said softly, squeezing it in her fist. "I'm just sorry I didn't wear it more."

"Me, too," Regina replied quietly.

Without thinking, Emma stood next to Regina and asked, "Will you put it on for me? Just for old time's sake?"

Although she looked surprised at the question, the queen obliged and took the necklace back. She stood behind Emma, dangerously close, and brushed the hair away from her neck. After reaching around her front to position the necklace, she pulled the clasp open to connect the two ends of the chain and fastened it shut. Before she pulled her hands away, she rested them on Emma's shoulders and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on Emma's neck, making her shiver under the touch.

"Regina," Emma breathed.

"I know."


	11. My Favorite Color

Emma's eyes fell shut as her heart started to race. A flash of memories flooded back to her, and as hard as she tried to push them away, they would not leave her in peace.

**YEARS BEFORE**

" _Do you know what I love about this tree?" Regina asked, smiling._

_Emma shook her head and smiled back._

" _What?"_

" _The deep red color of these apples."_

_Regina reached up and pulled one of them from the tree, holding it out to Emma._

" _It's my favorite color, you know," the mayor said. "Do you know why?"_

_Emma shook her head again but didn't respond. She simply listened to the sound of her lover's voice and let it fill her ears. To Emma, there was no sweeter sound in the world._

" _It's the color of a human heart, Emma. Not mine, of course - mine's as black as the bottom of the sea - but yours. Your heart."_

_Regina stepped forward and placed her right hand over Emma's chest, feeling it rise and fall with each quickening breath._

" _The most intimate part of you, the piece that makes you whole, is the color of this apple," Regina explained._

_The mayor's eyes grew bright as she gazed into Emma's. The blonde looked a little confused, but she was smiling, understanding at least the sentiment behind the woman's words._

" _You're so silly, sometimes," Emma giggled._

" _I'm serious. My favorite color is the color of your heart."_

" _Okay," Emma said nervously, unsure of what else she could say._

_It was strange to her that Regina would say something so personal and revealing. It was out of character for her to open up at all, and it surprised Emma to hear her share such an intimate detail about herself. Not to mention, it was terribly romantic, which was another thing Emma would never have expected coming from her lover._

_Regina took a bite of the apple, her eyes shutting briefly as she bit into it. When her eyelids opened, her own eyes found Emma's, a seductive pull passing between them. As soon as Regina's tongue slipped out of her mouth and passed slowly over her rosy lips, Emma knew there was no turning back._

" _I could never be with anyone but you," Emma blurted out._

_As soon as she heard herself, she realized just how vulnerable she had become._

" _I mean..." she started. "I just meant..."_

_Regina lifted a finger to her lips._

" _Shh," she said. "I know."_

_The mayor leaned in and kissed the blonde's lips, the taste of apples still lingering there, which Emma found intoxicating._

" _You... You t-taste like apples," Emma stammered._

_Regina smiled against her lips, not pulling away. The air between them felt electric and alive as she dropped the apple to the ground and slipped her arm around Emma's waist, gently pulling her closer until there was no space left between their bodies._

" _Do you like that?" Regina asked seductively, staring into Emma's eyes._

_Blushing, Emma found herself only able to nod, any words she may have spoken stuck deep in her throat. Unsure of where to put her hands, she draped her arms around Regina's neck, allowing the woman to kiss her once more, both of them still smiling._

" _I think we should make love," the mayor teased._

" _In the yard?"_

" _Everywhere," Regina breathed in her ear, her tongue darting out and caressing her earlobe before she bit down gently._

_Emma let out a small moan of surprise and involuntarily pulled away, her body stiffening._

" _No, don't," Regina begged, very carefully pulling her back into her arms. "Please. Don't pull away."_

_Emma nodded nervously and leaned against her lover. The two had never had problems being physically intimate with each other - the sex was always fantastic - but they rarely discussed anything deeper than a shower, both preferring to keep the conversations shallow and relatively emotionless. But something about Regina's demeanor was different. There was a light around her that Emma couldn't place._

" _I love you, Emma Swan," Regina whispered in her ear, tightening her embrace._

_They'd been seeing each other for a while, so they'd said their I-love-yous before, but this one was different. Emma could tell - could_ _ **feel**_ _\- that she meant it._

" _I... I l-love you, t-too," Emma stuttered._

_This brought another smile to Regina's lips as she watched the nervousness flood her lover's cheeks, knowing that the conversation was surprising to her._

" _I love apples, too," Regina said casually, grabbing another one off the tree, suddenly feeling bad that she'd wasted the first._

" _I... Me, too," Emma responded, a blush rising to her cheeks as she thought of the flavor of the mayor's lips._

_Regina took the first bite of the apple and chewed it gracefully, the smile still tugging at the corners of her lips. At first, it looked as if she might put that apple down, too, but she looked down at it thoughtfully and kept it in her hand._

" _Do you suppose," Regina began, "that my tongue tastes like apples too?"_

_Devilishly, she grinned at Emma and watched the woman's reaction - a mix of lust and complete and total shock._

" _I... I..."_

" _Tell me," Regina whispered, wrapping her hand behind Emma's neck to pull her closer._

_Regina used her tongue to part Emma's lips, and Emma received the kiss gratefully. She whimpered softly as Regina's tongue slid deeper into her mouth._

" _It does," Emma confessed, blushing even more, as they slowly and reluctantly pulled away from each other._

" _Good. I'm glad you like apples."_

_Emma was quiet for a while, content to shyly look over at her lover, her eyes scanning all the curves of her body. Occasionally, Regina caught her looking and smiled at her, but each time, Emma averted her eyes, embarrassed._

" _Don't be shy, Emma," Regina told her. "I'm yours. You can look all you want."_

_Another smile played at the mayor's lips as she teased Emma. She loved the way she made the woman blush, the way even the smallest things seemed to have a large effect on her._

" _Emma," Regina finally said, hesitantly. "I need to ask you something, but I need you not to freak out, okay?"_

_Emma looked confused, but she nodded her head in understanding._

" _What's this about?"_

" _Us."_

_A wave of worry washed over Emma's face, but as soon as she saw it, Regina lifted her hand and stroked her cheek._

" _No, Emma. It's not like that."_

_The woman looked relieved, so Regina took a deep breath and reached into her pocket. And suddenly, Regina was down on one knee._

" _Emma Swan," the brunette began softly. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"_


	12. Dinner

Just as Emma snapped out of her memories, she found that the other woman was speaking.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Regina asked suddenly but with hesitation, aware that her tone was formal and distant.

Emma turned to face her and looked into her eyes, confused at the woman's change in demeanor.

"Practically five minutes ago you were telling me to get off your property, threatening to get me fired for drinking too much, and telling me I was only going to see my son every other weekend. What makes you think I'd want to stay for dinner?"

"I know... Emma... Are you sure you won't stay? I'm sure Henry would love to see you when he gets home from school."

_I don't get this,_ Emma was thinking, completely lost. Regina wasn't one to have a change of heart. But maybe that wasn't what it was. She always had a strategy, a plan for something. There must have been some other motive, but Emma couldn't bring herself to say no. What if something really had changed? She couldn't take the chance of denying the invitation.

"Alright. I'll stay for dinner."

Emma sat in the kitchen while Regina prepared the meal, both of them staying silent until there was a knock at the door.

"Can you get that?" Regina asked, hands dirty from cooking.

Emma obliged and greeted Henry and Mary Margaret at the door.

"Emma! What are you doing here? I thought..." Henry stammered.

"I'm just here for dinner, kiddo," Emma told him.

Henry frowned and wrapped his arms around her, saying softly, "I don't want you to go."

"I know, buddy," Emma sighed.

She hugged her scowling mother, who had no idea what was going on, and said goodbye. Once inside, Henry sat on a stool in the kitchen next to Emma, talking about school and friends and other things while Regina finished dinner. At the table, Henry didn't waste much time jumping into a serious conversation.

"Why does Emma have to leave, Mom?" he asked.

Regina sighed and looked at her son. How was she supposed to explain it to him? How was she supposed to explain that they weren't happy together anymore? Well, she wasn't happy. Maybe Emma was. But it didn't seem like it. It seemed like they were both miserable all the time. She rubbed her eyes and looked back down at her plate, unable to face the disappointed look in the boy's eyes.

"Henry, we went over this," Regina replied. "We're just not happy together anymore."

"Your mom isn't happy," Emma corrected.

Regina shot her a disapproving look and scowled, but didn't say anything, not wanting to start a fight in front of their son.

"It just didn't work out."

"Weren't you happy together before? What happened?" Henry pressed.

"Henry," Emma sighed, putting her fork down on her plate, the room going silent. "Please."

"No. Emma. It's okay." Regina finally looked back up at him and said, "I don't know what happened, sweetie. Sometimes things like this are hard to explain. Sometimes people just grow apart."

"But why?"

"Because people change," Emma chimed in. "What they want changes."

"Why don't you want Emma anymore, Mom?" Henry asked, the sadness showing in his hopeful eyes.

Regina swallowed hard and took a gulp of her wine. A small collection of tears formed in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. They could both tell that he was trying to understand, but also that he was trying to get them to say that they still wanted to be together.

Choking up, Regina managed to say, "It's not that, Henry..."

"Then what is it?"

Henry was starting to sound irritated, his voice growing louder with each question he asked.

"Henry!" Emma yelled. "Let it go!"

"If you don't want her here, and you won't let me see her more than once every two weeks, why is she here?"

"I was trying to be nice, Henry. I don't want there to be a war between us..."

Emma felt the sting of the comment and swallowed her hope. Of course Regina was just trying to be nice. She was doing it for Henry. She should have known. At least she was doing that much. At least they both wanted what was best for him. But Emma wasn't so sure that having her there was such a good idea. She didn't want to confuse him any more than necessary. If they were going to separate, they should be serious about it. It was only hurting Henry to watch them fight and scream at each other. Seeing them be so cruel to each other must have hurt him as much as it hurt Emma. Was Regina hurting too? Did she even feel anything?

"I hate you for this," Henry said, looking at Regina.

"I know," Regina admitted, a tear escaping her eye and sliding over her cheek and down her jaw. "I'm sorry, Henry."

She was sorry she was hurting Henry, Emma realized, not that she was hurting her. She wasn't sorry to be leaving her. She was perfectly satisfied with the decision, as if she'd been wanting it the whole time. Maybe she had, Emma thought.

"I should go," Emma said, standing up and sliding her plate away from her.

"Wait," Regina said, standing up too. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

Emma sighed and weakly nodded, sitting back down and staring at her plate. Regina instructed Henry to go upstairs and go to bed, causing him to quickly jump up from the table and throw his arms enthusiastically around Emma.

"I love you," he sobbed into her shoulder. "I miss you so much."

"I know, buddy," Emma told him, kissing his forehead. "Go ahead up to bed, okay? You'll see me soon, I promise."

Henry nodded and stormed up the stairs, still crying loudly as he slammed the bathroom door.

"Talk," Emma demanded, glaring at Regina, resenting her for only irritating Henry's emotional wounds with the invitation.

"Emma," Regina said softly, begging Emma with her eyes to understand what she couldn't say.

"What?" Emma snapped. "What do you want from me?"

Without thinking, Regina rushed over to her side of the table and grabbed Emma's face in her hands, kissing her passionately. Although she wanted to fight, Emma found herself unable to pull away. She couldn't stop her lips from moving with Regina's, and she couldn't stop her fingers from reaching up and threading through the woman's soft brown locks. Regina only deepened the kiss, pulling Emma closer, pressing their hips tightly together, closing the space between their bodies. Then, she pulled Emma into the living room, gently pushing her onto the couch and straddling her lap.

"Just this once," Regina promised. "Just one more time."

Emma nodded, her eyes filling with tears, knowing it was the last time she would make love to her wife. Even though she wanted to resist, her body cried out for more. Regina made the first move, unzipping Emma's jeans and slipping her hand between the woman's legs, stroking her softly, causing her to moan. Emma reached up and tugged her lover's pants down to her thighs and matched the movements of Regina's fingers, wrapping her leg around the other woman's and pulling her closer. Emma bit her lip to muffle the noises escaping her lips until she drew blood. Regina tasted the iron, but didn't pull away. As Emma grew closer to climax, Regina slowed her pace, something uncustomary for her. Usually, her pace would quicken until she brought her lover to her peak, but this time, her movements almost came to a stop as she drew out her lover's orgasm. As Emma's walls clenched around Regina's fingers, Regina whispered her name in her ear, the intoxicating sound making Emma come harder.


	13. One More Try

As they lay spent, Regina wrapped her fingers in Emma's hair. They were both breathing heavily, unable to speak. _Oh, God,_ thought Emma. _What did I just do?_

When finally caught her breath, she whispered, "Regina. Tell me you still love me."

Regina pulled away slowly and looked into Emma's pleading face. She could see the tears pouring from the woman's eyes and flinched as she watched the pain on her face.

"I can't," Regina whispered back.

"Then tell me you don't," Emma choked. "I need to hear you say it."

"I don't love you," Regina replied, her voice cracking.

Without saying anything else, Emma gathered her clothes, put them on, and walked to the doorway to the living room. Taking one last look at Regina, who was still half naked on the couch, she turned and left, shutting the front door as quietly as possible so as not to wake her son, who had cried himself to sleep upstairs. When she pulled into the driveway at Ruby's, it was three a.m. She tore the chain from her neck and squeezed it in her fist, sobbing and slamming her head against the steering wheel. Upstairs in the guest room, she locked the door and also cried herself to sleep, squeezing her pillow in an iron grip, her head throbbing from the tears.

At five-fourteen, she woke to the buzzing of the phone near her head.

' **I lied.'**

Still in the same clothes from yesterday, Emma wasted no time jumping back into her car and speeding all the way back to the house. The woman heard her pull into the driveway, so the front door was thrown open before she could even knock. Regina didn't move, but Emma threw her arms around her and kissed her lips. They nearly slammed the door, forgetting about their sleeping son, and embraced each other once inside, Regina pressing their foreheads together.

"I am s-so, so s-sorry," Regina stuttered through sobs, her head buried in her lover's neck.

Emma stroked her hair and sighed heavily, holding her as tightly as possible as she leaned back against the door. When their tears had dried, Emma leaned away and reached into her pocket, pulling out a diamond ring and pressing it into Regina's hand.

"If you tell me you want me, I'm yours."

"Emma Mills," Regina whispered, "I want you. Please give us one more try."

Regina knelt down and took Emma's hand, looking up into her eyes. More tears streamed down her cheeks as she slid the ring back onto Emma's wedding finger. When they both sat down on the couch, finally done crying, Regina wrapped her arms around her lover and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Do you want to tell Henry?" Regina asked. "Or should we wait?"

"I'll tell him."

They stayed like that until the clock struck eight and Emma went up the stairs to wake Henry. She sat next to him on the bed and kissed his forehead. When he opened his eyes, she smiled.

"Emma!" he cried. "You're still here!"

She nodded and told him, "Your mother and I had a serious conversation last night. She wants to try this again, and so do I. I want you to understand, though, that this isn't going to be easy. Your mother and I have a lot of differences we need to work out. But we _do_ love each other, and we want to make it work. We're going to give this one more try."

Henry started crying again - _so much crying,_ Emma thought - and threw his arms around his mother.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, kid, and I promise that no matter what happens, we will both always be here for you."

He nodded in understanding.

"Alright," Emma said. "Now you gotta get ready for school!"

He obeyed, and Emma waited downstairs with Regina as they had coffee.

"Is he almost ready to go?" Regina asked Emma.

"Yeah."

"Can I drive you to work?"

Emma nodded and smiled, taking Regina's hand, saying, "Thank you."

They drove in silence to the school with Henry in the back seat. As he left, they said their goodbyes and I-love-yous, and when he made it inside the door to the school, Regina drove them to the station. Regina walked her to the office and stood by the woman's desk when she sat down.

"So I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Emma said,. "I'll be home late though. I need to talk to Ruby and let her know what's going on."

Regina looked upset at first, but her expression relaxed. Ruby wasn't exactly her favorite person to deal with, especially now, but she understood. After all the hospitality she'd shown Emma, it was only right that she fill her in on the situation. Plus, although Belle and Ruby weren't fond of Regina, they would want to know that things had worked out.

"Will you move back in?" Regina asked shyly, reluctant to suggest it.

"Yes. I'll see you tonight."

Regina lingered, looking at Emma and awkwardly wringing her hands. It took Emma a moment to realize what she wanted, but when she did, she took the woman's hands and pulled her down until their faces were close together. Regina kissed her lips softly and sighed when she had to pull away to open her mouth to speak the words she was so nervous to say.

"I love you, Mrs. Mills."

* * *


End file.
